Stringed musical instrument.



J. A. BACH.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 1914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

llllllllllillllllllll Mw i232. ,ar ins ATTORNEY:

JOHN A. EACH, 01 ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1915.

Application filed September 5, 1914. Serial No. 860,436.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, JOHN A. BAoH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Stringed Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in stringed musical instruments, and the object of the invention is to provide a stringed instrument of such construction and to play it in such a manner and by such means that the varying tones are secured by playing upon difi'erent predetermined points of the string without fingering or otherwise changing the actual length of the string. In order to secure this result I cushion one end of each string and then play on the string with a peculiar bowing device consisting of a transversely corrugated rod, which when pushed or pulled across the string partly bows and partly picks it and thereby produces musical sound only in the long or short part of the string extending from the bowing device to the uncushioned end of the string;

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 is a plan view of the front or stringed side of the musical instrument. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the instrument supported upon a frame which holds it in an inclined position in front of the player. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line a-a. Fig. 1. Fig. at is an enlarged detail view of one of the bridges supporting the strings. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view ofthe indicator strip arranged underneath the strings of the instrument. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the playing rod or stick serving as bowing device.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 1 designates the hollow body of the instrument, which may be of any desired shape. In the present drawing it is shown as partly resembling the body of a violin or guitar, having lateral cavities 2 and a neck 3 with a head 3", the latter provided with a series of pegs 4, on which may be fixed worm-gears'5, turned by worm-screws 6 having thumb-pieces 7. The hollow body includes a sounding board 8 having the usual opening 9 therein; and-upon said sounding board is mounted an indicator strip 10 (best shown in Fig. 5), having suitably spaced transversely disposed lines arranged similarly to the frets and the finger board of a guitar or mandolin; and the letters indicating a musical scale are marked upon it.

Extending from each peg 4 to a suitable containing heavier strings varying in size togive a major cord. The grades of strings and their exact arrangement and numbers are, however, matters subject to so great variation and preference, especially in small and large instruments, that all the details can not here be given. Permanently inserted between the rows of strings near the bridge 15 are strips 21 of rubber or similar cushioning material. The strings in each row lie all in one plane.

The playing device shown in Fig. 6 may be produced in various ways only it must present a transversely corrugated or toothed rod; a convenient and most effective way to form it is to take a straight piece of stiff wire 18, say eight to twelve inches long, provide one end of it with either a straight or an angularly disposed handle 19, and wind and secure upon said rod 18 a finer wire 20 of copper or similar material.

The instrument, while being performed upon, is sup orted in an inclined position upon a suita le frame structure 21". The instrument is performed upon by reciprocating one or more bowing devices like18-20 across one or more sets of strings at such a distance from the bridge 14 as will secure the desired note or pitch according to the letter and mark on the scale strip 10 directly below the bowing device. In thus moving the bowing devices while pressing them gently against all the strings, in a set or group each coil or corrugation 20 acts as a picker while a series of them act as a bow; and the part of each string between the bowing devlce and the cushions 21 is silent, while the rest of the string gives sound according to its length, which length depends on the position of the bowing device upon the string. It is thought proper to here state that neither an ordinary string picking device nor an ordinary violin bow will have the effect of my playing device which from one set of strings to another, as may.

I think may be defined as a combined picking and bowing device.

From the foregoing statement it will be understood that if so desired one may play the instrument with two of my bowing devices simultaneously, each device upon a different row or set of the strings. One or more bowing devices may also be moved be required or desired"; and a singer may sing and play various chords upon the lower set of strings with a single bowing device applying the same alternately upon the dif: ferent proper points of said lower set.

What I claim is:

1. A musical instrument comprising a hollow body, a perforated sounding board for said body, a neck carried by the body, a head carried by the said neck, strings secured at their opposite ends in said head and to said hollow body, bridges support ing said strings adjacent the outer ends of said hollow body, a playing device adapted to (pick and bow the strings simultaneously an yieldable cushioning members arranged between said strings adjacent one of said bridges to silence the parts of the strings between said cushioning members and the playing device.

2. A musical instrument comprising ahollow body including an apertured sounding board, a neck carried by said hollow body and having a head, a plurality of stiings.

arranged in rows and having their ends secured to said head and to the opposite end of the hollow body, bridges supporting said strings in spaced relation from said sound-' ing board, a bowing playing device and yieldable cushioning members between the rows of strings near one of the bridges to silence the part of each string between said cushioning members and the playing device.

3. The combfnation with a string musical instrument, of a rod, a handle on said rod, and a wire wrapped spirally around the a rod; said rod adapted to be moved longituin spaced relation and supporting said rows of strings, yieldable cushionin' members arranged between said rows 0 strings near masses one of the bridges, a bowing device for playing upon said sets of strings alternately at di erent distances from the cushioning members.

5. The combination with a stringed musical instrument, of cushionin members permanently engaging one end 0 each string and a transversely corrugated rod serving as a bowing device in playing-upon the strings, and means adjacent the strings for indicating the various points of each string upon which the bowing device when reciprocated upon the string will produce sounds .of varied pitch according to the distances between the bowing device and the uncushioned end of the string.

6. A musical instrument comprising a hollow body, one or more strings stretched upon said body, two bridges spacing the string or strings from the body near each end thereof, soft cushioning members permanently impinging each string near one of the bridges, and a bowing device comprising a suitable handle and a playing rod extending from the handle and having transversely arranged corrugations or like projections' adapted to vibrate and bow the string or. strings when the rod is reciprocated across the same.

7. A playing device for stringed musical instruments, the same consisting of a handle, a rod extended from the handle and a round wire wound closely in coils about the rod to produce a special bowing surface on the rod.

8. A playing device for stringed musical instruments, the same consisting of a handle, a rodextended from the handle and a round wire wound closely in coils about the rod to produce a special bowing surface on the rod, said rod being of cylindrical form.

9. A stringed instrument having at each end a bridge, each bridge having notches for strings in the top and apertures for strings therebelow, a group of parallel strings all of the same pitch arranged in the notches and lying all in the same plane, a group of coarser strings arranged in the apertures of the bridges all in the same plane and tuned to furnish a major chord to the strings of the first group, each of said groups being accessible for a playing device upon any part of it intermediate the bridges, and cushioning members permanently pressing upon the strings near one of the bridges.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

J OHN A. BACH.

Witnesses:

FRANK J. Tor-m, JOHN BANNICK. 

